


I Mean I Could (But Why Would I Want To?)

by RavenclawPianist



Series: I'm Trying, Trying, Trying [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Identity Reveal, Marinette POV, Whole Lotta Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 12:10:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10411857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenclawPianist/pseuds/RavenclawPianist
Summary: Adrien starts getting into Marinette's personal space. She does a lot of internal screaming.Marinette's POV of "Can't Keep My Hands to Myself"





	

**Author's Note:**

> The Marinette POV of "Can't Keep My Hands to Myself."

Still tired from the previous night’s akuma attack, Marinette had trouble following Alya’s chatter as they walked to school. She saw Nino and Adrien waiting for them in front of the stairs at their usual meeting place and tried to tune back into whatever Alya was talking about.

“So I really think the new layout would bring some renewed interest to the Ladyblog,” Alya continued. “And the contrasting background colors would make everything pop!”

She nodded in agreement as they crossed the street. Just as they started up the steps, as typically happened when she wasn’t dressed in black and red, her toes caught on the edge of the step and sent her headed towards the ground. Bracing herself for impact, Marinette was surprised to instead find herself being pulled back into a stable standing position, someone’s hand wrapped around her elbow. She glanced from the hand to the boy holding ono her and blushed.

“T-thanks, Adrien,” she smiled nervously at him, mentally screaming. _Adrien caught her before she could fall. He was so perfect. And so handsome, god, how the sun was hitting his hair and his green green eyes and- was he still holding onto her arm?_

Sure enough, he still had his hand on her arm. His thumb had started to move in small circles on the edge of her rolled-up sleeve, a soothing motion that was enough to make her knees feel weak. She could feel her cheeks get even warmer. “Um, Adrien, um, y-you-”

Nino and Alya exchanged a look she couldn’t decipher. ”Pretty sure Marinette needs her elbow back,” Nino said, voice deadpan.

Alya grinned and winked at Marinette. “Unless you want to escort her to class?”

Marinette could tell she had turned the color of her suit. Looking down at the ground, she promised herself next time she would just fall and avoid any awkward situations all together.

Adrien let go of her arm, the slightest hint of pink coloring his cheeks. “Sorry!”

She smiled up at him again, not sure what to make of the expression on his face. “It’s o-okay!”

Alya looped her arm through Marinette’s and started leading the way to the classroom. “What was that about?” Marinette whispered.

“Not sure,” Alya admitted. “But it definitely seems like Adrien might have some feelings for you!”

“Shh!” Marinette hissed with a quick glance back towards the boys as they filed into their seats. “He probably just forgot he was holding onto me.”

Alya gave her an unimpressed look. “Girl, you don’t forget when you’re holding onto another person.”

“You can sometimes,” she murmured, suddenly remembering a night a few weeks previously when she had been sitting with Chat Noir on a rooftop and they hadn’t even realized they were holding hands until they stood up to say good night.

“Nuh-uh,” Alya replied as their teacher entered the room. “I’m telling you, something is going on with that boy.”

 

 

“I’m telling you, he had his hand on my back!” Marinette practically screamed at Alya that afternoon while the girls worked on homework in Marinette’s bedroom. “He touched me twice in the same day!”

Alya looked at her with one eyebrow higher than the other. “Now do you believe something is going on with him?”

“But what?” she flopped over onto her back and covered her face with her hands. “What possible explanation is there for Adrien touching me?”

Alya sighed and sat up. “Okay, let’s go through this for the third time today. One: are you okay with him touching you?”

“Yes!” Marinette replied. “I am totally okay with him touching me. He should be touching me all the time. We could hold hands, and have our arms around each other, and he could kiss me, and-”

“You really don’t need to go any further with that,” Alya interrupted, holding up a hand. “Two: what are possible and realistic reasons he could be touching you?”

“He got a concussion and doesn’t realize it’s happening?” Marinette offered.

Alya closed her eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. “Or he is finally, after three years of friendship, comfortable enough around you to get into your personal space. Or he has feelings for you and doesn’t know how to handle it, so is just being an idiot. Hey!” she grinned. “You two have that in common!”

Marinette threw a notebook at her best friend, laughing. “Shut up!”

 

 

She couldn’t help paying extra attention to the physical space between her and Adrien over the next few days. Sure, he seemed to linger a little longer than really necessary when handing her papers in class, and there were a few times when they were walking places with Alya and Nino when he was close enough to her to let their hands brush against each other (which made her blush bright red each time as the thought _oh god I could hold his hand he could hold my hand we could hold hands together oh god_ echoed through her head), and he even reached out to touch her arm or shoulder to get her attention (like he never had it!) during a conversation.

Thursday evening found Ladybug swinging on her yoyo across the city to land on the Eiffel Tower. She and Chat hadn’t planned to patrol, but she needed a break from her thoughts and the posters of Adrien on her bedroom walls. Hooking the yoyo back onto her hip, Ladybug sat down and stared out at the lights of Paris, absently swinging her legs through the air.

Alya had gotten tired of going over Adrien’s odd behavior, but Marinette still couldn’t help thinking about it. Maybe it was finally time to tell him about her own feelings, she mused. If Alya was right, maybe they could go on a date. If not, well, at least she’d know and he would probably back off again. Either way, she wouldn’t be stuck in this confusing situation.

Standing up and unhooking her yoyo, Ladybug smiled grimly. She would finally tell Adrien how she felt, she decided. Next week. She needed the weekend to prepare, after all. You couldn’t just admit to a crush in an instant.

Swinging back to her balcony, Marinette was comforted by the knowledge of having a plan.

 

 

Marinette narrowed her eyes, focusing solely on the lines her pencil made in her sketchbook as she worked on the intricate design she was planning for a new dress. Light strokes of the pencil created shadows in the skirt to use as folds in the fabric, firmer strokes created the asymmetrical stripes across the bodice. She didn’t even hear someone come up beside her or call her name, too wrapped up in her work.

Someone reached out to gently tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, jolting her out of her concentration. Marinette looked up at Adrien with wide eyes, mind blank as she realized that he had brushed his fingers against her cheek and then moved her hair away from her face. The breath caught in her chest at the intimate gesture.

Adrien pulled in a deep breath, pulling away from her. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to- you were so focused, I don’t think you realized- I’m sorry!”

She shook her head, trying to find something to say that wasn’t just mindless shrieks of excitement. Adrien blushed deeply before giving her a helpless look and hurrying away.

“What just happened?” she asked the empty air where he had stood.

 

 

Friday evening, just as the sun began to sink into the Seine, Ladybug landed on the Eiffel Tower. Chat Noir already sat on their usual beam, looking out over the city. He looked over at her as she sat down beside him, his green eyes glowing. “How’s my favorite kitty?” she asked, nudging his shoulder with hers.

“Better for seeing you, my Lady,” he replied, leaning in towards her with a flirtatious smirk. “Did you miss me?”

“Always do, mon minou,” she said easily, leaning back onto her hands. “Did you see any activity yet tonight?” he was silent beside her, although she could feel his gaze on the side of her face. The silence stretched for a moment until she broke it. “Chat?”

 “I have to tell you something,” he blurted out suddenly, startling her. “And I’m really really sorry and this isn’t how I wanted to tell you, but it doesn’t feel right not telling you and I’m so sorry and-”

“Whoa, Chat, calm down!” she reached out to take his hands in hers, slightly alarmed by the desperation in his voice and the speed at which he spoke. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we can figure this out!”

He took a deep breath, holding tightly onto her hands. His thumbs rubbed light circles on her wrists, something about the motion nudging at another memory of someone holding onto her arm. “I saw you when you transformed after fighting Dancer last week.”

She drew in a sharp breath, muscles instantly freezing and tensing with her need to run away. He knew. He saw her. He had to know who she was under the mask.

 He kept his gaze on their hands. She saw his thumbs still moving in small circles against her suit, but she couldn’t feel his touch. “I didn’t mean to, but I saw you come out of the alley.”

“You know who I am?” she asked quietly, throat tight and aching with fear.

He nodded. “I am so sorry, I know you wanted us to keep our identities secret. But I want you to know that I am going to keep your secret, and no one will find out who you are from me.”

“Do you know me as a civilian?” her fingers twitched against his, betraying her urge to pull away.

“Yes.” Chat’s voice was gentle, as if he could sense her panic.

“Are you disappointed, knowing it’s me?” She could barely hear her own voice. Tears started to gather along her lower eyelashes. Her heart clenched painfully. She tried to breathe but couldn’t pull enough air into her lungs.

Chat finally looked up at her, reaching out to cup her cheek. His thumb slid across her cheekbone, an attempt at a soothing caress. “No,” he said, voice firm and decided. “I could never be disappointed with you. You are- you are everything, Marinette.”

She gasped at his use of her name- her _real_ name- and crumpled against him. The tears began to escape and her shoulder shook as she tried to contain her sobs. She’d been found out, and still Chat was offering her acceptance and affection, taking her as she was regardless of whether she was her civilian self or superhero self. Chat wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly as she shook. She calmed slowly as he stroked her hair, breathing more easily as the initial panic and nerves eased. Marinette let herself stay in the circle of his arms for an extra moment before pulling away. He slowly let his arms fall back to his sides.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, quickly running the back of her hand under her eyes. Crying probably wasn’t the best possible reaction to learning your partner knew your civilian identity. “I just-”

“You don’t need to explain,” Chat interrupted with a crooked smile. “I’m terrified to tell you who I am,” he looked her in the eyes, nerves obvious as his smile vanished. “I’m worried you’ll be the one who’s disappointed.”

She reached out to hold his hands again, staring back into his eyes with as much reassurance as she could. “I will never be disappointed with you, chatton.”

He took a deep breath. “Plagg, claws in.”

She kept her eyes on his as a green glow moved up his body and his black leather suit changed into a normal pair of jeans, t-shirt, and button-down combo. Her eyes widened and her hands on his clenched almost painfully tight as she recognized the outfit and his features without the mask there to cover his cheeks and nose. Neither said a word as they stared at each other.

Marinette’s mind went blank, a faint buzzing filling her head. The buzzing grew until she knew she couldn’t open her mouth without shrieking. Moments passed while she tried to pull herself together; tried to accept the fact that her pun-loving, devoted-to-a-fault, flirty partner was also her school friend and crush, model Adrien Agreste.

“Y-y-you’re-” she stammered. “A-Adrien- oh my god.”

He smiled weakly at her, nerves still obvious. “Hi.”

She launched herself forward, throwing her arms around him. She clung to him tightly as he wrapped his own arms around her, holding her just as securely. Marinette let Tikki release the transformation, relaxing slightly as the pink glow rolled over her body. She scooted a little closer to Adrien on the beam of the Eiffel Tower, reminding herself to be careful of her balance so they wouldn’t fall while untransformed.

They sat in silence for a little while, arms wrapped around each other. His head rested on top of hers, his cheek pressed to her hair. She breathed in the scent of his cologne, a scent she had gotten to know fairly well over the last week as Adrien kept getting into her personal space. She smiled against his shoulder. _This is the best night of my life,_ she thought. _I can’t believe you’re you!_ _I’ve had the biggest crush on you since we met._

“Me too,” Adrien murmured. Marinette blushed as she realized she had accidently said the last part of her thought out loud. She blushed more deeply when Adrien’s response confession sank in. He had a crush on her too?!

A few dots suddenly connected in her mind. “Wait, is this why all week you kept touching me?” She pulled back slightly from him, looking him in the face.

The last rays of the sun lit up the slight blush rising on his cheeks. “Um, yeah. I found out who you were and then it just felt like I had to keep checking to make sure you were real.”

She grinned at him, a fuzzy warmth filling her chest. “I think I get that. I don’t really want to stop hugging you right now.”

“So why stop?” he asked, tightening his arms around her again to pull her against him.

She laughed, squeezing his waist in her embrace as she leaned into him. Marinette once again settled herself with her cheek against his shoulder. “We do eventually have to go home.”

“Eventually,” he agreed, not sounding like he thought that time would be anytime soon. “How about we just stay like this for another few hours?”

“That’s a bit unrealistic,” Marinette pointed out, fighting back another laugh. “Our arms will go to sleep.”

Adrien leaned his cheek on the top of her head. “Okay, until our arms fall asleep.”

She smiled against his neck, feeling him shiver as her lips lightly brushed against his skin. “Deal.”

They watched the sun finish setting below the horizon, still locked in their embrace. Marinette was the first to wince and shift slightly on the beam. “I think my leg fell asleep.”

“We said arms, not legs,” Adrien replied. “I’m not letting go yet.”

“You can keep holding my hand, but I really need to change positions.”

“Nope, not letting go.”

“Chat.”

“Bugaboo.”

She grinned at the nickname, giving him an extra tight squeeze before letting go of his waist. “Tell you what, let go of me and we’ll transform and then we can go back to my balcony and cuddle some more while actually being comfortable and not worrying about falling off the Eiffel Tower.”

He considered it for a moment before slowly letting his arms fall away from her. “I suppose that would be acceptable.”

“Tikki, spots on!” Marinette called, letting the pink glow wash over her again. Once her mask was back in place, she grinned at Adrien. “Race you!”

“Not fair, my Lady!” he called as she used her yoyo to swing to the next building.

“Never said I would play fair!” Ladybug called over her shoulder, seeing the green flicker of his transformation from the corner of her eye before she heard the metallic clang of his staff as he chased after her.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I just posted the Adrien version of this fic like two days ago and was overwhelmed by how nice everyone in this fandom is. Thank you to everyone who comments and kudos, and I hope you like this one too! 
> 
> Next up will probably be a sin fic.
> 
> Come see me on Tumblr!


End file.
